I love the tradition in Gareths primary school of sending in some kind of cupcakes to school so that your child's class can celebrate their birthday with them. Most classes have about 30 kids and the teacher too. This is Gareth's last year in primary school and so it is the last time I will get to do this.

This year however there is a small problem. He will be on his school excursion in Canberra. He leaves the day before his birthday and I wasn't sure whether I would still be able to send anything with him. Gareths teacher assured me that if I could parcel something up she could bring it on the coach and distribute it on the birthday.

I told Gareth cookies would transport better than cakes as they didn't need to stay cold. He reminded me of the set of Ninja Bread men cutters that we have. The prospect of making and icing cookies for the whole year group broke me out in a cold sweat. 60 kids and 4 teachers. It was a mammoth cooking session that took up most of the day. The kitchen floor was drizzled in coloured sugar icing and Murphy had a ball licking around my feet.

In the end it was worth it. 6 dozen cookies were baked, although not all survived with legs and arms intact! The best 65 Ninja Bread men were chosen to ice. They covered my benchtops waiting to dry so I could stack and box them up. There was one last minute casualty as one brave Ninja slid off the edge of the kitchen bench and shattered on the floor below. Murphy the dog raced over for clean up duties while the 64 remaining Ninja's were securely wrapped and boxed ready to deliver into the hands of Gareth's teacher on Monday.

Another "last" to cross off the list as my kids grow up faster than seems possible.

Safe Journey brave Ninja's. May you arrive in Canberra intact and ready to be enjoyed by Gareth and his friends!